CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

MAYOR, CITY OF PEKIN

14. Are there opportunities to cut expenses? Are there deparments that are over-staffed? Where, specifically, would you support cuts?

Mark A. Luft: There are always opportunities to cut spending and reallocate spending in areas where there is waste. The best way to find the right answers in both areas is to start with face to face interaction with all departments. Meeting with city employees and getting their input on where they see waste and where they need help. When employees are treated as part of the team and encouraged to engage in open dialog, they tend to become more involved in helping find solutions. Citizens should never feel that their input is not heard in regards to taxes and fees. If there needs to be a change in these areas, the public should be fully informed and allowed their input. We need to establish a simpler and clearer form of communicating these issues to our community.

John McCabe: In the first part of my tenure as mayor, an efficiency study was conducted because of the concerns and wishes of community and council members. This independent study points out that there is really no area in the city to make any meaningful cuts. When money gets tight, people want to see cuts in expenses. But anytime cuts are made to the city budget, services such as public safety, sewer and road maintenance are diminished. Everyone likes the idea of lowering taxes, but the problem is how to make it happen and maintain the level of service the public expects.